


The Rabbi

by Epher



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Catholicism, He gets a crush on the local rabbi, Judaism, M/M, Saeran is a demon under Saeyoung's care, Saeyoung is a priest, Strong Religious Themes, Who happens to be Yoosung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 07:28:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9591794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epher/pseuds/Epher
Summary: He thought that being a demon meant a natural aversion to religious leaders, but Saeran had never met someone as gentle as the rabbi.





	

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to listen to the music I listened to while writing this, it's the Hativka album by the Male Choir Moscow Choral Synagogue! You can find it on youtube [here](http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4AT6hlRSx_R3yDIeIKi8rNQxhu_TDF4W) or on Spotify [here](https://open.spotify.com/album/5nTr9aOOXF22sX9Vk1hhiM)! Hauntingly beautiful Jewish music. My favorite song is Litutgia Slichot Excerpts.

The synagogue was dark, apart from the little lamp hanging from chains on the ceiling. Two angel figures held the glowing orb, and their wings looked kinda cool in the light. Beams spanned from the light's ceiling fixture to the edges of the circular service room like spokes on a wheel, further accenting the light's importance. 

Saeran wanted to get closer to the light, but he was scared. A glowing light in the middle of a dark holy place had to be trouble for a demon like Saeran. Still, he didn't get any bad feelings from it like he did with anything in the parish church. The lack of ominous aura drew him to it. Was it just a lamp with no holy purpose?

Saeran peered down from his place against the dome-like ceiling, a few meters away from the hanging light. There were chairs organized in a semi-circle around the raised platform which held the podium, musical instruments, and a large cabinet in the back. Windows surrounded the circular room instead of walls, acting as the only barrier between it and the trees outside. Hebrew letters were painted on the windows above the cabinet, and they shined gold in the light.

It was much different than the church. It might even be beautiful, when the sun came up and filled the room with natural light. Now, in the dead of night, the darkness seemed to try and consume the entire room, pushed back only by the golden light hanging from the ceiling. 

Saeran moved closer to the Hebrew letters on the windows, where he could see through the doors on the other side of the room leading to the rest of the synagogue. On the other side of the glass entrance past the lobby, Father Saeyoung was staring into the dark synagogue. He had a phone to his ear.

Saeran was excited, and if he were in human form he might smile. _Good, call the rabbi._

Saeran had only seen the rabbi once, when he fled into the synagogue one night to escape the priest. The rabbi was different than any priest Saeran had ever met. He was calm and relaxed, and Saeran didn't feel threatened by him at all. It might be because the rabbi was wearing a fluffy robe and bunny slippers, and clearly had been dragged out of bed to let Father Saeyoung in the synagogue.

Saeran considered turning human this time. Maybe he could speak to the rabbi... _no, not while Saeyoung is here. He'll just try to capture me._ He decided to stay in his little black cloud form. If only he could get the rabbi alone...

Headlights appeared in the parking lot and Saeran moved further into the shadows. Strangely, he wanted to stay close to the hanging light, but he needed to stay hidden. He watched with growing anxiety as the two figures approached the glass door, barely illuminated by the lights on the outside of the building. The rabbi was wearing his robe again. As Saeran hid himself against the beams, he heard the jingling of keys and then the creak of the door being pushed open.

"I don't know how he got out again," Saeyoung was saying.

"You haven't been torturing the poor thing, right?" The rabbi's weary voice floated through the entrance hallway.

Saeyoung chuckled. "Yoosung, of course I'm not. He's like family to me." 

_Yoosung._ Was that the rabbi's name? Saeran had heard that name a few times from Saeyoung talking on the phone. He watched as the two appeared in the doorway to the dome-like service room. Yoosung shuffled between some chairs and turned on a switch, illuminating the room in bright light. Saeran hissed and retreated, trying to hide from the brightness. 

"He doesn't like bright lights," Saeyoung said.

"Oh." Yoosung turned the light back off, and walked to the center of the room towards a small table with two candlesticks. He struck a match and lit both of the candles, then looked up at the ceiling.

Saeran was safely hidden behind one of the beams. He kept an eye on both the rabbi and the priest, who was still standing at the doorway.

"Saeran?" Yoosung asked timidly, then looked at Saeyoung. "That's his name, right?"

Saeyoung nodded.

Yoosung looked back up at the ceiling, turning in a circle as he eyed the beams, looking for the demon. "Saeran, why are you running from Saeyoung?"

The question surprised Saeran. Last time the rabbi showed up, he had stood there looking tired while Saeyoung chased Saeran around. Part of him wanted to answer the question, but he didn't want to make himself vulnerable by using his human form.

"Is that you?" Yoosung looked right at Saeran and stepped toward him.

Saeran pushed himself further into the place where the ceiling met the wall. He could change forms and go right through the wall, but he didn't really want to.

Yoosung peered up at him with a small smile. "You don't need to be afraid of me, Saeran." His voice was so soft, Saeran knew that if he were a human he wouldn't be able to hear him from where he hid. "I have no business with you, unlike Saeyoung. He's told me that you're not malevolent. Will you come down?"

Saeran wanted to. He wanted to use his human form and talk to Yoosung, and listen to more of those soft words. But Saeyoung stood waiting at the door, so he stayed in his cloud. He relaxed, allowing the anxious movements of his form to ease.

Yoosung put his hands in his robe pockets. "Can we play a game, if you want to stay up there? If I ask you a question, will you move to your right for 'yes' and move to your left for 'no'?"

A question game? Saeran floated to his right. He was curious, and this way he could still talk to the rabbi while staying at a safe distance.

Yoosung beamed. "Thank you. Are you running away from Saeyoung?"

Saeran scooted to his right again, still keeping against the wall.

"Are you afraid of him?"

Saeran thought about it. His instinctual reaction would be to say no, that he wouldn't allow that piece of shit the satisfaction of causing him fear, but... that was a lie. He moved a few inches to the right again, sliding underneath the beam to get to the other side of it.

Yoosung frowned, then looked down. After a moment, he looked back up again. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Has he hurt you?"

Saeran moved to the right again, remembering all of the painful exorcisms Saeyoung put him through. They had helped ease the violent thoughts and urges, but it had hurt like hell. 

Yoosung seemed upset by this. "Are you afraid that he will hurt you again if you go back?"

Saeran paused. Saeyoung had said that he was done with the painful rituals, and it had been almost half a year since the last one. He had no reason to trust the priest, but for some reason he did. The sincerity of Saeyoung's guilt about those exorcisms was convincing, even though Saeran still hated him. He moved to his left.

"Are you running from him because you're angry?"

Saeran jumped about two feet to his right.

Yoosung chuckled at that. "I think that's understandable. He keeps you locked up in his house all the time. I'd be mad too. What if I made you a deal? Left if you refuse, right if you'll hear me out."

Saeran paused to think. He was wary about making deals, since it would probably end in him going back to Saeyoung's care. But, did he have any choice? The wilderness isn't a place for a lost demon, and Saeyoung kept him fed and cared for, at least in his human form. He would do well to at least listen to the rabbi's deal. He moved to the right.

Yoosung smiled. "Your end of the deal is that you go back home with Saeyoung now, and in return, I'll let you hide in here from him sometimes. But only during nighttime, and only if you behave and don't mess with anything. Is that an acceptable deal?"

So Yoosung would allow him to stay in here during the night? It made sense, if the rabbi liked getting sleep and not having to come unlock the door for the priest. He wished he could speak, and ask if he could spend time with Yoosung on top of the deal. However, he didn't want to risk giving up a safe haven. He moved to the right again.

"Great." Yoosung was beaming, and the sight made Saeran feel warm. He waved the priest over. "I told him that if he goes home with you, I'll let him spend the night here sometimes."

Saeyoung faltered in his steps. "For real?"

Yoosung nodded. "As long as he doesn't damage anything it won't be a problem."

Saeyoung looked up at Saeran, whose cloud form snapped smugly. He looked back at Yoosung. "Are you sure?"

Yoosung nodded.

Saeyoung sighed and approached Saeran, muttering Latin under his breath. 

Saeran wanted to resist, but he knew that he had to keep his side of the deal. He lowered himself down to eye level, feeling his form being condensed. Saeyoung took the small bottle from his pocket and unscrewed the lid, and suddenly Saeran was sucked into the bottle like a vacuum had swallowed him. His senses were blocked in the confinement, so he settled down for the ride home.

He wanted to thank the rabbi. Or at least smile at him, which was an incredibly weird thing as far as Saeran is concerned. He never smiled at anyone. Then again, no one was as gentle or as kind as the rabbi. 

He remembered the sympathy in Yoosung's voice as he said, "You don't need to be afraid of me, Saeran." He remembered the softness as he said his name.

Inwardly, Saeran felt warm.


End file.
